Ballet Legend Nina Ananiashvili

Bolshoi Ballet superstar and proud Georgian Nina Ananiashvili talks to critic and historian Dr Ismene Brown about how she became a ballerina and now artistic director of the State Ballet of Georgia. Topics include childhood iceskating, adapting to fierce Bolshoi office politics and winning world fame, the Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and new problems of nationality, art identity and ballet culture. The interview was filmed at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre for FORM Training, the study-abroad programme for university students in Tbilisi, Georgia, and its We Must Believe in Spring series of talks on the various legacies of Russia through the lens of the ongoing conflict, migration, and the experiences of the South Caucasus.    / @wemustbelieveinspring  .

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
04:18 Clip: Medley from The Pharaoh’s Daughter, Don Quixote & Raymonda: the ballerina’s art - grace, strength, musical expression, brilliance. “I always enjoyed doing fouettés!” That 12-second balance - it doesn’t always work.
07:50 Young Nina. Georgian champion junior ice-skater. Parents should always take children to ballet. Let them make up their own minds.
13:32 Georgian ballet training under legendary Vakhtang Chabukiani. What he told Nina.
16:30 Career decision. Moving to Moscow training at 13. Grandmother to the rescue.
19:49 Outsider in Moscow. Language barrier and education panic.
23:01 Progress. School partnership with Andris Liepa and major competition success - into the Bolshoi Ballet corps de ballet.
23:32-24:46 Clip: Newsreel of the new starlet, with coach Raisa Struchkova. Relationship in Russia between dancer and coach. “My two Russian mums.” The Bolshoi theatre is a city within a city. Be careful. Big theatres have big problems.
28:34 Bolshoi identity overcomes Georgian outsidership. 23 years the Bolshoi’s ballerina.
31:30 London tour changed her life. Critics’ reviews. Display of costumes of her roles. Simon Virsaladze, Lord Snowdon.
34:38 Clip: Giselle Act 2, at the Bolshoi with Alexei Fadeyechev.
40:14 Marriage, invitation to New York City Ballet, and how she saw NYCB Soviet tour as a child. Introduced Balanchine works to Bolshoi. Nationality dissolves between artists. Balanchine plan to build new dance theatre for Tbilisi blocked by Soviet authorities.
45:20 Professional frustration at Bolshoi - still only 26. Mindgames over performances, harsh atmosphere. Impressed in UK, Royal Ballet approach, Kenneth MacMillan. Significance of his sudden death. “Was it my big mistake to say no?”
49:35 Offer from American Ballet Theatre - second home for 16 years. New choreography, Alexei Ratmansky.
51:12 Decision to return to Georgia 20 years ago, at President Saakashvili's invitation. Urgency of revival of ballet theatre. Dreadful conditions, love of citizens saved the house from ruin. Help from international friends, Balanchine Foundation, etc. How to find Georgian classical ballet identity.
55:46 Clip: Vakhtang Chabukiani in Taras Bulba. Ballerinas jealous of his charisma! Launched the line of Soviet male superstars, Nureyev, Baryshnikov.
58:36 Nationality and politicisation of ballet, Cold War and today. Swan Lake universalised. This summer State Ballet of Georgia makes London debut. What is Georgian in classical ballet?
01:02:10 How to react to contemporary political events, the “Russian” problem. Nina's controversial consideration of dual directorship with Novosibirsk Ballet - “maybe a mistake”. Her Russian friends, her Ukrainian friends, current relationships, Ratmansky’s outspokenness.
01:04:36 How to become a great ballerina. Making choices, taking risks, hard work, and physicality, now a thorny issue. What you can’t say vs what is needed to maintain ballet's quality.
01:08:14 Clip: Nina in Ilouri with Georgian National dancers.
01:11:12 Concluding encouragement to students and spectators. Enjoy love of ballet and support it. Ballet enriches you no matter where you work. If things don’t go the way you want, find another good way and don't give up. “We need clever ballerinas, clever people in ballet.”

Related links:
FORM Training, Tbilisi, Georgia - talks links    / @wemustbelieveinspring  .
State Ballet of Georgia, London Coliseum 28 Aug-7 Sep 2024 https://londoncoliseum.org/whats-on/s...
Ismene's site of 30 years of dance coverage. http://www.ismeneb.com